This, said the former premier, is because both former Umno leaders and the Opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) have come to the realisation that they will not be able to defeat Barisan Nasional (BN) unless they start working together.

“And we will, under a coalition. We have also agreed with the suggestion for a ceasefire among us,” Mahathir told a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here today.

Whether PH will come in as a sub-coalition or as separate component parties is up to its leader, he added.

Mahathir also said they had agreed to set aside their differences and will focus only on their common enemy as well as the goal of becoming the new government after the next General Election.

“This is a coalition, and we have all agreed that in any election, we will field only one candidate for each seat.”

When asked if the ceasefire would include PAS, the 91-year-old political titan referred to a similar call made by the Islamist party’s deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, yesterday.

“I don’t know what PAS’ stand is but Tuan Ibrahim seemed to be considering himself as an opposition (party), so we hope they won’t go against us.

“(And if they don’t), we will not attack them.”

Tuan Ibrahim, in a statement yesterday, said Opposition parties should “train their guns on Umno-BN” instead of each other, and should find a point of compromise without sacrificing their core ideals.

Mahathir, at the press conference today, officially revealed that a new Opposition party was in the works and it will be part of the present Save Malaysia movement.

Besides him, at least three other big names have expressed interest in the proposed party.

They are former Umno leaders Muhyiddin Yassin, Mukhriz Mahathir and Shafie Apdal.

Also present today were Pakatan Harapan and former Umno leaders, minus several PKR top leaders, including Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and Mohamed Azmin Ali.